Wire-bound-box machine.



A. M. HOOD. WIRBBOUND B0X MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1910. RBNEWED 00T. 27, 1913. y 1,107,216,Patented Aug. 11, 1914 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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@Wines/.mo nwmtoz i "GRM/view A. M. HOOD.

WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE zo,` 1910. RENBWBD 00T.27,1913.

1,107,216. Patented Aug. 11,1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. M. HOOD. WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JIINBZO, 1910.R'ENEWED 00T. 2.7, 1913. 1,107,216. Patenned'Aug. 11,1914- 5SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W Itter/M434,

A. M. HOOD. WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE zo, 1910.RENBWBD 0011.27. ma.

1,107,216. Patented Aug.11,1914. Y Y 5 SHEETS-Susu.

' y vwemfoz 1h40/aoco A. M. HOOD.

I l WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE. APPLQATION FILED JUNEzo, 1910. RNBWBD0012.27, 191s.

1,107,216. Patented Aug. 11,1914 y e SHBBTS-SHBBT5- my-1v- [fj/ 9. Z1.JZ Z n .f2

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR M. HOOD, 0F INDIANAFOLIS, INDIANA., ASSIGNOR T0 THE' GREENSTBEETFDLDING BGE MACHINE COMPANY, 0F CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, A. CIOE-PURAWIRE-BUNlD-BOX MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application filed I une 20, i910, Serial No. 567,831. Renewed October27, i913. Serial No. 797,652.

.To all whom 'it may concern:

Bc it known that l, ARTHUR M. Hoon, a citizen of the United States,residing at indianapolis, in the county ofMarion and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful VVire-BoundBoX Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to produce a box machine requiringa minimum amount of labor and intelligence in its Operation and of suchcharacter that cleats may be placed in proper order upon a car rierwhich will deliver them past automatically operating spacing mechanismin such manner that they will be definitely and accurately spaced withrelation to a spaced cleat carrier and by it be delivered to staplingmechanism, mechanism being also provided to form a definite and accurategage by means of which the sheet material may be accurately placed bythe supervising operative under whose immediate supervision the staplingmechanism will operate.

This invention also contemplates such improvements in detail ofconstruction as may be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a plan ofk the complete machine on a very small scale; Fig.2 is a side elevation on the same scale as F ig. l; Fig. 3 a verticalsection on line 3, 3 of Fig. l but on a larger scale; Fig. l a sectionon line Li, l

of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a section on line 5, 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. G a fragmentaryside elevation of a portion of the automatic cleat'spacer and adjacentportions of two spaced cleats; Fig. 7 a plan of the parts shown in Fig.6; Fig. 3 a side elevation, on a larger scale, of the automaticcleat-spacing mechanism and adjacent parts; Fig 9 a plan, of the partsshown in Fig. 3; Fig. l0 a transverse sectional detail of the partsAshown in Figs. 8 and 9; Fig. ll a fragmentary detail of a portieri ofthe cleat retarding mechanism; Fig. l2 a plan in partial horizontalsection ofthe sheet-spacing mechanism; Fig: i3 an yelevation of thesheet spacer; lrw ig. 1li a fragmentary detail of a modified form ofcleat and the cooperating spacer, and l5 a plan of a modified guide forthe sheet spacer.

ln. the drawings, 2O indicates the main supporting 'frame of the machinehavin?n two horizontal cleat uides or -runwa'fs 2 2l at least one ofwhich is transversely adjustable toward the other by any suitablemeans,such for instance as adjusting screws 22 of a well-known type, theseadjusting screws being preferably connectedl for simultaneous movementby sprocket chains 23. lhe cleat guides 2l, at an intermediate point 1ntheir length, pass over or' are associated with an anvil beam 24 abovewhich are arf ranged stapling heads 25 by means of which suitablestaples may be driven into the mates rial of the blank and straddlingstrengthening or binding wires 26. Thus far the mechanism is verysimilar to that noW com- Inonly in use and 'therefore needs no furtherdescription, the exact character of the stapling mechanism being entirelimmaterial.V

At the receiving end of eac cleat guide 2l is a cleat channel 31 intowhich cleats 32,'

cleats will rest directly upon the upper length of the chain. Thesechains may be provided with cleat-engaging lugs 34. The

chains 33, if they are provided with the cleat-'engaging lugs 3ft,should be driven by a friction train which constantly .provides a lightbut fairly rapid driving force which, however, may be overcome bysuiicient resistance offered to the movement of the cleats. For thispurpose the forward ends of the chains 33 are passed over sprocketwheels 35 carried by a shaft 36 journaled on the main frame. Thesprocket wheel 35 which is adjacent the adjustable cleat guide 21 issplined upon the shaft 36 and associated with the guide in such way asto partake of its transverse adjustment.4 AShaft 36 is provided at oneend with a hand wheel 37, by means of which it may be rotated, and atthe opjiiosite end is provided with a pulley 33 receivingl a belt 39coming from a pulley 4:1 carried by a continuously driven shaft 42. Anidler d3, having a spring tension member 44, engages the belt so thatthe driving effect of the belt upon the pulley 38 may be readilyadjusted and controlled.

The sprocket wheels are arranged i1nmoo n`+ely 'to the rear of positivefeed chains 45, other suitable positive cleat-engaging 50 prises,

and space-maintaining means, arranged to positively engage the cleatsand carry the same across the plane of the stapling mechanism so that,until one or two staples have been driven into any particular cleat, thesaid cleat will be maintained in its dciinite relationship to thepreceding and following cleats by said cleat-engaging means. For thispurpose chains 45 are provided with sharpened lugs 46 which are adaptedto sink into the sides of the cleats and these chains are backed up bystationary guide or backing strip 47. Coperating with thc chains 45, andspaced therefrom. a distance equal to the thickness of the cleats, is anabutment structure which may be either the flange 48 of guide 2l or aholder all carrying a plurality of anti-frictionl rollers 50, suitablemeans being provided for adjustment of abutment 48 and the backing;strip 47 to accommodate di'erent thicknesses of cleats if desired.

Before the cleats pass into the control of the spaced-cleat carrier 45it is necessary that mechanism be provided for denitely spacing thecleats with relation to each other but this spacing mechanism need onlybe in operative position just long' enough to insure a proper engagementof the carrier 4-5 with the freshly entered and properly -spaced cleat.This cleat spacing mechanism, besides being` automatic in its operation,should, in order to facilitate the commercial production of boxes, be ofsuch character as to $5 not only properly space the cleats of each blankbut also such as to give the proper spacing between cleats of adjacentblanks so that the operation of the machine, in the production ofsuccessive blanks, may be con- 40 tinuous. l

The ordinary box will be formed of four pieces to make a four-sided boxand the cleats of these four sides4 must be regularly;

spaced with relation to each other While the 4 last section of eachblank and the rst section of the succeeding blank must ordinarily'bespaced a greater distance apart in order to provide a sufficient excessof binding wire to permit the proper connection ot the ends ofthe-binding wire of each blank.

ln the present drawings spacingr mechanism, has been shown especiallyadapted for i the production of four-sided box blanks but it will bereadily understood that, without material change, the essential featureofthe construction to be described may be as readily applied in theproduction of box blanks having any desired number of sides. The 1spacing mechanism fundamentally come foreach cleat guideway, a spacingmember having portions which will be automatically'successively broughtinto position at the rear ends of the cleats and be there maintainedtemporarily until some means ,5,5 has been provided for maintaining thespaced relationship between said clcal and thc ncx succeeding cleat,whcrcupon thc spacing; member maybe withdrawn and automati callyreturned to position whcrc it may autolnzitically assume auothcr spacingposition. ln the present machine this i'umlamcntal feature has beencmbodicd in a lorm by which every fourth cleat will hc more distantlyspaced from its prcccdinj;` cleat.

Procediug now to a description of. the spacing mechanism, it will bcsecu that, closely adjacent the receiving endsl of the spaced-clearcarriers l5 and thc discharging ends ot the cleat-feeding carricrs. isspacci' wheel 5l which is provided with three spac` ing' lh 52 each oiwhich is provided with n tip adapted to be projected bctwccn theadjacent ends oftwo cleats 32.

In the drawings the cleats 32 which happen to be illustrated, are ot themortiscaunltenen type and for that reason the lingers 52 are thin enoughto project upwardly through `the mortisc 82 and the tips 53 aretransversely extended to engage the cleat at one side of the mortise.-Each wheel 51 also carries a broader linger 5i which is provided withtwo spacing tips 55, similar to the tips 58 but arranged more closelytogether and at a distance equal to the distance dcsired between thelast cleat of one blank and the first cleat of the next blank, so as tooperate as a single spacing member. Each of the fingers 52 and is soforn'icd with a back edge 5G as to clear the sides et the cleats, asclearly illustrated in dotted lilies in Fig. 8.

The two wheels 5l. are positively connected for simultaneous rotation bymeans of a shaft 57 which, however, is frictionally driven by belt 58from the constantly rotating shaft 42, the arrangement being such that avery slight obstruction to rotation of Ieither of the wheels 5l willprevent rotation lof both although they are constantly under a rotativeforce which tends to rotate them together as soon as the obstruction lisremoved. That one ot wheels 5l which is associated with the transverselyadjustable cleat guide 2l, will be splincd upon shaft 57 `so as toautomatically partake ot thc trans# verse adjustment of its cleat guide.

' ln order to separate the oli-coming cleat So as to insure the entry ofthc spacing tips I53 or 55 between the cleats, the lower corner of thetenen 32 of each cleat may be bevele l, as illustrated in Fig. 14 toform a 'ocket G0 into which the spacing tips may drop, but thisarrangement is probably not. the preferable one. As a preferredarrangement thereis yprovided adjacent cach cleat guide, a rock shaft Glcarrying an arrester pawl 62 the tip of 'which is normally held insliding, engagement with the sides of the cleats and is adapted te dropinto the space AG8 formed by beveling one shoulder of the lOlS engagedby .a light s ring tending to" drivethe pawl 62 to t e positionindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9 and this arm 64 is carried into thepath of movement of four `cams 66 carried by the adjacent wheel 51.

The sheet material 71 needs to be definitely spaced and located withrelation to the cleats to which it is to be secured and it is thereforedesirable that 'any gage member which is rovided be arranged to coactwith the endye of the cleats. For that purpose there is provided asheetage finger 72 at each side of the machine. ach of these fingers hasai main ortion which fits between the adjacent endg: of two cleats andalso has an upwardly extending sheet-gage 73 which projects above theupper faces of the cleats and has a'fthickness which is just sufficientto properly space the sheets. Each nger 72 is carried by alongitudinally movable carriage 7d mounted in a guideway 75 and isprojected inwardly by a light spring 76. The carriage 74 is yie dinglydrawn rearwardly by means vof aweighted cord 77, or otherwise,'and ,ispropelled forwardly by the forwardly moving cleats. In lthe forward endof guideway 75 is a cam 78 adapted to be 1 'engaged by a roller "(9carried by finger 72 aa spaced-cleat carriers l5 and for that purposeso' as to automatically withdraw the finger 72 from between the cleats.

The operation of the stapling' mechanism is intermittent7 beingaccomplished by the of machine7 this stapling action has to take placeduring a period when the blank material is at rest. It is thereforenecessary to pr'oduoe an intermittent advancement of the each of thesecarriers at its forward end is carried over a drivingv sprocket 82carried by a shaft 83. Flach shaft 83 carries a beveled pinion 8dmeshing withv a beveled gear 85 carried by shaft 86, one of the gears85y being splined n on shaft 8G so as to partake of the lateral ajustment of the laterally ad-l instable cleats'uide 2l. Secured to shaft8G is a ratchet wheel. 87 'engaged by pawls 88 carried by a lever` 89connected by a pitman 9i. with the main drive shaft 92 of' the machine,in a well-known manner. In order to avoid any drag of the inner ends ofthe lingers 72 upon the cleats during the return movement of saidfingers, a guide 93 may be provided for the return movement of roller75l, a pivoted gate Sli being arranged between this guide and cam 78, asillustrated in The operation is as -follows: A. feeding op erative willdeliver cleats in proper length sequences to the receiving ends of thechannels 31 and, as this feeding operative has notl'iing to do but toplace the cleats, itis possible for the single operative to supplycleats to' both channels. The cleats, when so delivered, are carriedforward by the chains 33 and, if said chains are provided with lugs 34,the action of the chain will be intermittent depending wholly upon theobstructive action of pawls 62 and chains 45. The first cleat will enterthe space between the feedin chains l5 and abutment 48 and be positive yengaged by said feeding chains and drawn forwardly ste by step. Theforward end of the next c eat will be closely associated with the rearend of the first cleat, and the finger 54 of wheel 5l will occupy theposition occupied by the middle one of iingers 52 in Fig. 8, the camedge 56 of finger 54 resting against the 'side of the first. cleat andthe tip 53 of the first finger 52 resting against the side of the cleat.As the rear end of the first cleat approaches pawl G2 said pawl willdrop into-the space (S3 andform an obstruction to the furtheradvancement of the second cleat whereupon the first cleat 'will continuein its forward movement and,

when the rear end of its tenon passes the first spacing tip 53 saidspacingtip will drop in behind the rear end of tenon 32 of the firstcleat 32. As soon as this occurs the appropriate cam 66 of wheel 5l willengage the adjacent arm 64 and withdraw pawl 62 from the path ofmovement of the second cleat, whereupon the chains 33, which are drivenat a faster speed than that of chains 45, will cause the second cleat tocatch up withthe first cleat and to engage the spacing tip 53" .whichhas been inserted7 whereupon the'second cleat will enter under controlof the chains 45' and Said chains will thereafter maintain the properspacing of the cleats until after the stapling mechanism has beenpassed. As soon as the second cleat is well under control of the chains45 the first spacing tip 53 is withdrawn from between the cleats and thesecond spacingtip comes into positionA against the side of the secondcleat ready for entry behind the second cleat as soon as its rear end isbronghtto proper position. Until such time, however, the driving belt 58is continually slipping upon the pulleys of shaft 57. The above actionis repeated until the fourth cleat has been brought under the control ofchains 45 at which time the forward spacer 55 is in position to drop inbehind the third cleat and at this time the movement of the wheel 5l issufficient to bring both of the pins 55 into position behind the thirdcleat before the l appropriate cam 66 withdraws pawl 62.Conserpiently.aJ longer space between the fourth cleat of the one-blankand the first cleat of the neat blank is provided. Before the cleatsrea-ch the stapling mechanism iinger 72 is automatically projectedbetween the separated ends of the two cleats and as soon as thisprojection occurs the principal sequences.

operative, who supervises the operation of the slapling mechanism,places the sheet material Tl upon the cleats, the members 73 formiivgglan abutment for positioning the for ard edge ot' the sheet, and theoperative holds the sheet in position as the cleats are advancedstep-by-step until enough of the tor-ward edge ot' the sheet. has passedbeneath the stapling mechanism to permit the insertion of one'or twostaples. As soon as this occurs the operative may removl` his hands andthe material will be autonuitically advanced beneath the stapling heads.At; about this time rollers 79 engage the cams 78 sothat lingers 72 arewithdrawn from between the cleats and the weighted cord 7i' eailses animmediate return of said tin gers to position where they may be ae'ainautomatically projected between the ends et' the next cleats.

The preliminary feeding mechanism, coniprising the chains 33 andchannels ll. is not absolutely essential because the cleats may be fedby hand directly to the spacing wheels 5l but with such an arranejenientit is probable that a cleat feeding operative would be required foreachcleat. guide. lt will be readily understood that while l have shown onlytwo cleat guides` the addition oi: one or more cleat guides withappropriate feed spacing mechanism would not dep-artfrom my inventionand would notI require the exercise of invention.

It will be seen from the above that acenrate spacing ot' the cleatsl(which is commercially very necessary in order to produce a rigid box)is entirely automatic and that the spacing mechanism is a tixed'anddefinite portion of the mechanism so that it cannot become misplaced orimproperly arranged and that its operation is entirely automatic andentirely independent of the lengths of cleats. It is therefore possible,Without any 'adjustmento any kind, to produce boxes having the samelength but of dillerent widths and depths by merely feeding cleatstQQthe spacing mechanism in proper length lt will also be not-iced that.at each forth cleat. a gratter space is automatically provided and that,there never can be any' mistake in the provision o't' this additionalspace, so that a proper tying length ot thel bind" ig wire isautomatically assured.

'Cl-ail f f l. lne.` boit blank machine, the combination cfa" cleatguide, cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously aplurality of spa-ced cleats along said guide stapling mechanism arrangedto operate. upon such.

cleats While under control ot the cleat-feeder, a cleat`-spacer arrangedat thc entrance end ot the cleat-feeder, said cleatspaeer beingr movableinto cooperative relation between a cleat under the control ot' thecleat-feeder and a cleat not yet under the control of the yieldingAprclimin:u' cbav tcedcr deliveringr cleat-i`eeder, and withdrawable'from ben tween said cleats after the second cleat has passed undercontrol ot the cleat-teeder, and a yielding preliminary cleat-.feederdelivering` to said spacer.

2. ln a box blank machine.I the con'ibination of a cleat guide,cleat-feeding means tor positively feeding; simultaneously a pluralityot' spaced cleats along said guide, staplinaj mechanism arranged tooperate upon such cleats while under control ot the cleat,- feeder, acleat-spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleableeder. saidcleatspacer being automatically movable into cooperative relationbetween a cleat under the control of the cleat-'feeder and a cleat not,yet under the control olf the cleabhialer., and automaticallywitlulrawable from between said cleats atler the second, cleat has`passed under control et the clcatdeeder, and a yieldingpreliminarycleat-feeder delivering` to said spacer.

ln a box blank machine. the combina; tion of a cleat guide.cleat@ler-diriaN means` 'for positively 't'eedine si:nultancously aplurality of spaced cleats alongY said d'uidta stapling mechanismarranged to ola-rate upon such cleats while under control ol theclcal-'l'ccdcr` a cleat-spm'er arranged at the entrance end et thecleat-feeder, said lcat-s1pa 'cr beingr movable into coiiili'eraiivcrelation between a cleat under the control ot the clcatdredcr and a clait not yet under the control ol' the cleat-feeder, and withdrawablctroni between said cleats a ller the second clcat has passed undercontrol ol thc cleat-'leuten a to said spacer` an interruptor arrangedto intermittently interrupt the cleats in the preliminaryclcat-l'ccdcilo permit placing; ol the clcat-spaccr` and means im'inlcrmiltcntly witlnlrawine the inlcrruptcr.

l. ln a box blank machine. the ciuubina lion oit' a cleat guide,clcal-liccdiug1 means t'or positively feeding siumltancously a pluralityof spaced cleats alonev said e'uide.l staplinlg mechanism arranged tooperate upon such cleats while under control olt the cleat-feeder` aclcat-spaccr avi-angled :it the entvancc end ol the cleat-lnder. saidcleatspaecr being automatically movable into eoative relation between acleat under the control. of the eleattceder and a cleat not yet underthe control ol the cleat-feeder` and automatically withdrawable t'roinbetween Said cleats ater the second cleat has passed under control otthe clcat-fceder, a yiclding preliminary eleat-t`ceder delivering loSaid spacer, an interrupterarranged to intcrmittently'interrupt theclats in the preliminary clcateeder lo permit placingl ot thecleat-spacer, and means 'tor intermittently witl'idrawing theinterrnpter.

5. In a bof; blank tnaclsim the combination of a cleat guide,cleat-feeding means l'or 5l li liti positively feeding simultaneously aplurality of spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arrangedto operate upon suchcleats while under control of the cleat-feeder, aucleat-spacer arranged at the entrance-end of the cleat-fecder, saidcleatspacer being movable into coperative rela* ltion between acleatunder the control of the cleat-feeder and a cleat not yet underthecontrol of the cleat-feeder, and withdrawable from between said cleatsafter thesecond cleat Ahas passed under control of the cleat-feeder, anda preliminary cleat-feeder deli-vering to said spacer.

(l. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guidecleat-feeding means for positively 'feeding simultaneously a pluralityof spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged tooperate upon such cleats while under control ot' the cleat-feeder, acleat-spacer arranged at the entrancetlend of the cleat-feeder, saidcleatspacerf being automatically movable into cooperative relationbetween a cleat under the con'trol of the cleat-feeder and a cleat notyet under the control of the cleat-feeder,m and automaticallyWithdrawable from between vsaid cleats after the second cleat has passedunder control of the cleat-feeder, and a preliminary cleat-feederdelivering to said spacer.

7. ln a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide,cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality ofspaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged to operateupon such cleats while under control of the cleat-feeder, a cleat-spacerarranged at the entrance end of the cleat-feeder, said cleat spacerbeing movable into cooperative relation between a cleat under thecontrol of the cleat-feeder and a cleat not yet under the control of thecleat-feeder, and withdrawable from between said cleats after the secondcleat has passed under control of the cleat-feeder, a preliminarycleat-feeder delivering to said spacer7 an interrupter arranged tointernlittently interrupt the cleats in the preliminary cleat-'eedertopermit placing of the cleat-spacer, and means for intermittentlywithdrawing the interrupter.

8. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide,cleat-feeding means for positivelyy feeding simultaneously a plu ralityof spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged tooperate upon such cleats while under control of the cleatfeeder, acleat-spacer arranged at the entrance end oi" the cleatf'feeder, saidcleatspacer being automatically movable into cooperative relationbetween la cleat under the this sixteenth day. of June, A. D. onethousand nine hundred and ten.

ARTHUR M. HOOD. [L s.] Witnesses FRANK A. Fannie, l THOMAS lV. MoMnANs.

